Lehigh University strives to be an educational
institution that welcomes faculty, staff, and students from diverse
backgrounds and situations. Lehigh University is committed to provide all
members of our community with equal access to relevant academic programs,
social and recreational programs, services, and opportunities for
participation, growth and promotion, and to promote and enhance the
diversity of the university community. The purpose of this policy is to
define a philosophy for the institution and to articulate mechanisms for the
oversight of the policy.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:
Lehigh University does not discriminate against any person based on age,
color, disability, gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national or
ethnic origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. For
students, this applies to educational programs, residential environments,
athletics and other co-curricular programs, social and recreational
programs, and student services. For faculty, staff, and student employees,
this applies to all employment decisions, including selection, benefits,
compensation, tenure, training and educational programs, transfer,
promotion/demotion, layoff, return from layoff, and termination.

Any Lehigh student or applicant for student status,
faculty or staff member, or applicant for faculty or staff positions has the
right to make a complaint of discrimination. In cases involving harassment,
the complaint should be filed in accordance with Lehigh’s Policy on
Harassment, which specifies procedures for both informal and formal
resolution. Other complaints of discrimination should be made to any of the
following people:

• A staff member in the Dean of Students Office or
Human Resources;
• An academic department chair;
• An administrator (for the purposes of this policy, administrators
include academic associate deans and deans of the four colleges, vice
provosts, assistant and associate vice presidents, vice presidents, and
the president);
• The Ombudsperson;
• The Provost;
• The Vice President for Finance and Administration

These people will be knowledgeable about this policy
and can offer guidance in obtaining further assistance. Any general concerns
about discrimination should be sent to the Provost (for faculty and
students) and the Vice President for Finance and Administration (for staff)
whose responsibilities include handling complaints and keeping Lehigh in
compliance with this policy.

AFFIRMATIVE
ACTION:
Lehigh University firmly embraces the following principles and procedures of
affirmative action to create an environment for equal opportunity:

In all searches, departments will employ
pro-active recruitment and advertising techniques to attract serious
applicants from under-represented groups. The Dean’s Office in each
College will work with departments to develop these strategies for
academic searches and the Associate Vice President for Human Resources and
the Manager of Employee Relations and Training will work with hiring
supervisors to develop these strategies for nonexempt and exempt staff
searches.

The Provost will review all faculty searches and
hiring decisions to ensure that the search was sufficiently inclusive and
dynamic to attract and consider serious applicants from under-represented
groups.

The Vice President for Finance and Administration
will review all staff searches and hiring decisions to ensure that the
search was sufficiently inclusive and dynamic to attract and consider
serious applicants from under-represented groups.

The Provost and the Vice President for Finance
and Administration will conduct an assessment, annually, of Lehigh’s
workforce, including faculty and staff, to determine its composition and
to determine areas where additional effort should be made to increase
diversity.

Lehigh will make reasonable accommodation for
qualified students and employees with disabilities.

Lehigh will provide professional development
opportunities for all employees.

Lehigh will provide faculty and staff with
training on equal opportunity issues and problems.

Lehigh will expect outside vendors of services
and materials to be affirmative action/equal opportunity employers. The
university will maintain a list of minority vendors and ensure that they
receive a share of university business.

Lehigh will provide technical assistance to all
colleges, departments, centers, and institutes for gathering and reporting
data, hiring, and implementation of other aspects of this policy.

In compliance with federal regulations, Lehigh
University will maintain a written Affirmative Action Plan to address
utilization of women and other under-represented groups and inclusion of
people with disabilities and Vietnam era veterans.

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT:
The following statement is to be used in all faculty, staff, and student
handbooks, and in recruiting information for undergraduate and graduate
students and special programs that the university offers.

Lehigh University seeks talented faculty, staff, and
students from diverse backgrounds. Lehigh University does not discriminate
on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, marital
status, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or
veteran status in any area , including: student admissions; scholarship or
loan awards; athletic, co-curricular, recreational, or social programs;
academic programs, policies, or activities; and employment and employment
development. Questions and complaints about this policy should be directed
to: The Provost or The Vice President for Finance and Administration, Alumni
Memorial Building, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015.

In recruiting for employment, the following
statement is to be used:

Lehigh University is an equal
opportunity/affirmative action employer.

RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES:
While equal opportunity and affirmative action are the responsibility of all
members of the Lehigh community, the President has final responsibility for
the overall implementation and monitoring of this policy. The daily working
responsibility for equal opportunity/affirmative action is delegated to the
Provost, Vice Presidents, Deans, Associate and Assistant Vice Presidents,
Vice Provosts, and the Associate Vice President for Human Resources and the
Manager of Employee Relations and Training. These individuals have
responsibility for implementation of this policy, development of goals,
oversight of the performance of departments that contribute to university
equal opportunity policy and goals, and promulgation of the concept of equal
opportunity/affirmative action.